The present disclosure relates to a head-up display.
Head-up displays have been used which project display light emitted from a liquid crystal display onto a windshield of a vehicle and display a virtual image in front of the windshield. In this type of head-up display, external light, such as sunlight, enters through an exit port where display light is emitted, and therefore, suppression of damage of a liquid crystal display heated by the external light is required.
Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a head-up display employing a cold mirror, which reflects visible light and allows infrared light to pass, as a flat mirror to prevent a liquid crystal display from being heated by sunlight which penetrates into a housing and which is reflected by the flat mirror. However, the head-up display of Patent Document 1 may not prevent a visible light component of sunlight from reflecting off the cold mirror and heading toward the liquid crystal display.
Patent Document 2 discloses a head-up display including a hot mirror (which reflects visible light and absorbs infrared light), a retardation plate, and a polarizing plate which are installed in front of a liquid crystal display. According to such a head-up display, it is possible to prevent a liquid crystal display from being heated by a visible light component or infrared light of sunlight that may not be cut by a cold mirror.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 4841815
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-174855
However, the head-up display of Patent Document 2 requires addition of a hot mirror, a retardation plate, and a polarizing plate in front of the liquid crystal display, and therefore, there arises a problem in that the number of components is increased.
Therefore, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a head-up display having an enhanced heat-shielding property against external light without increasing the number of components.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a head-up display includes a lighting device (6), a display (3) which emits display light when being illuminated by the lighting device (6), and a reflector (4) which reflects the display light. The reflector (4) includes a reflective layer (41) including a plurality of layers of resin films having different refractive indices, an adhesive layer (42), and a base material (43) to which the reflective layer (41) is bonded via the adhesive layer (42).
According to the present disclosure, a heat-shielding property against external light may be enhanced without increasing the number of components.
Embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that, in
Configuration of Head-Up Display
The head-up display 1 is mounted in an instrument panel 9 of the vehicle. The head-up display 1 may be mounted in such an orientation that the Y direction in
The head-up display 1 includes a case 2, a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) panel unit 3 (an example of a display), a reflector 4, a concave mirror 5, and a backlight unit 6 (an example of a lighting device).
The case 2 forms a housing of the head-up display 1. The case 2 is a lower case which forms a lower portion of the housing of the head-up display 1. The case 2 is coupled to an upper case not shown in
The case 2 is formed of material with high heat conductivity, such as aluminum. The case 2 includes a heat dissipation portion 21 as shown in
The TFT panel unit 3 is a display which uses light emitted from the backlight unit 6 as backlight to emit display light for a display image. The TFT panel unit 3 in this embodiment includes a dot-matrix TFT (Thin Film Transistor) panel. The display image is an arbitrary image and may be an image representing, for example, navigation information or various vehicle information.
The TFT panel unit 3 is fixed to the case 2. For example, the TFT panel unit 3 is fastened by screws 90 at two portions on both sides in the X direction as shown in
The reflector 4 reflects the display light emitted from the TFT panel unit 3 toward the concave mirror 5.
The concave mirror 5 reflects the display light reflected by the reflector 4 and causes the display light to be emitted from an exit port formed on an upper case (not shown) and directed to a windshield WS of a vehicle VC. The concave mirror 5 may be supported with respect to the case 2 in a rotation available manner so that a vertical position of an area where the display light hits in the windshield WS is adjustable.
As shown in
The backlight unit 6 is disposed behind the TFT panel unit 3 (on a negative side in the Y direction). The backlight unit 6 generates display light in cooperation with the TFT panel unit 3.
Configuration of Reflector
Next, a configuration of the reflector 4 will be described with reference to
As shown in
The reflective layer 41 is a reflective polarizing multilayer film. The reflective polarizing multilayer film includes hundreds of layers of polyester resin films having different refractive indices.
In the reflective layer 41, refractive indices of the individual films are adjusted so as to reflect only a specific polarization component of visible light A. The reflective layer 41 has wavelength selectivity for reflected wavelengths and does not reflect infrared light B but allows the infrared light B to pass. The reflective layer 41 has a reflection axis and reflects a linearly polarized component of the visible light A which is parallel to a reflection axis direction C. The reflective layer 41 does not reflect the linearly polarized component of the visible light A which is perpendicular to the reflection axis direction C but allows the linearly polarized component of the visible light A which is perpendicular to the reflection axis direction C to pass. A detailed description will be made with reference to
Accordingly, the reflector 4 having the reflective layer 41 allows the infrared light B to pass so as to prevent the infrared light B from reaching the TFT panel unit 3 in external light, such as sunlight, incident from the outside. Since the reflective layer 41 reflects only the S-polarized light H and allows the P-polarized light G to pass in the visible light A included in the external light, the visible light directed toward the TFT panel unit 3 may be reduced without arranging a glass plate with a polarizing film or the like in the vicinity of the TFT panel unit 3.
The adhesive layer 42 is made of acrylic resin and is a colorless transparent adhesive layer. The reflective layer 41 and the adhesive layer 42 are provided as a single component, a total thickness of which is approximately 60 μm.
The base material 43 is a member that holds the reflective layer 41 in excellent flatness and excellent planeness and has both vibration resistance and transparency. Examples of the base material 43 include transparent inorganic glass. Considering economy and rigidity, inorganic glass having a thickness in a range from 1.7 mm to 2.1 mm is employed as the reflector 4 of the head-up display 1.
Arrangement of Reflector
The reflector 4 is arranged in such an orientation that the reflection axis direction C of the reflective layer 41 is substantially parallel to a polarization direction of the display light emitted from the TFT panel unit 3. By arranging the reflector 4 in this manner, the display light emitted from the TFT panel unit 3 can be reflected in a direction of an occupant's viewpoint with less attenuation of the display light while the visible light A directed to the TFT panel unit 3 is reduced.
For example, the head-up display 1 of the present example shown in
An angle of incidence of the display light emitted from the TFT panel unit 3 to the reflector 4 is preferably in a range from 30° to 40°. In this way, the concave mirror 5 and the TFT panel unit 3 can be arranged in close proximity so that the head-up display 1 can be miniaturized.
Other Embodiments of Reflector
Next, reflectors 4B, 4C, 4D of second to fourth embodiments will be described with reference to
According to the reflector 4 of the first embodiment described above, the P-polarized light G of the infrared light B and the visible light A included in the external light, such as sunlight, is prevented from being directed toward the TFT panel unit 3, thereby enhancing a heat-shielding property against the external light. However, in the reflector 4 of the first embodiment, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In the example shown in
According to the reflector 4E of the fifth embodiment, as in the first to fourth embodiments described above, a reflective layer 41 including a plurality of resin films having different refractive indices may allow infrared light B in external light, such as sunlight, incident from the outside to pass so as to prevent the infrared light B from reaching the TFT panel unit 3. Since the reflective layer 41 reflects only S-polarized light H and allows P-polarized light G to pass in visible light A included in the external light, the visible light directed toward the TFT panel unit 3 may be reduced without arranging a glass plate with a polarizing film or the like in the vicinity of the TFT panel unit 3. In this way, the reflector 4E of the fifth embodiment can also enhance the heat-shielding property against the external light without increasing the number of components, as in the first to fourth embodiments described above.
According to the reflector 4E of the fifth embodiment, even when a part of the light (infrared light B and P-polarized light G) transmitted through the reflective layer 41 is reflected on the second surface 432 of the base material 43, the reflection light R1 is not parallel to S-polarized light H, as schematically shown in
Note that the fifth embodiment can be combined with the differences of the second to fourth embodiments described above relative to the first embodiment described above. For example, the base material 43E may have a light-shielding property, as in the base material 43B of the reflector 4B of the second embodiment, the adhesive layer 42 may have a light-shielding property, as in the reflector 4C of the third embodiment, or the second surface 432 (back surface) of the base material 43E may include a light-shielding layer 44, as in the reflector 4D of the fourth embodiment.
Furthermore, although the second surface 432 is planar in the fifth embodiment, the second surface 432 may include curved portions. Moreover, the second surface 432 may be realized by a combination of a plurality of planes. In this case, the plurality of planes may all be non-parallel to the first surface 431, or only one of the plurality of planes may be parallel to the first surface 431.
As shown in
Specifically, the reflector 4F of the sixth embodiment includes, from the front side, a surface layer 40F, a base material 43F, an adhesive layer 42F, and a reflective layer 41. The layers on the front side relative to the reflective layer 41 have translucency. That is, the surface layer 40F, the base material 43F, and the adhesive layer 42F have translucency. As a result, even when the reflective layer 41 is disposed on the back side, the same function as the reflective layer 41 of the first to fifth embodiments described above may be realized.
The surface layer 40F is a coating layer formed by coating, such as an overcoat, for example. The surface layer 40F may be formed by applying various translucent resins, such as polyimide, acrylic, and epoxy, in a form of a film. The adhesive layer 42F is a translucent adhesive layer which is colorless and transparent and may be the same as the adhesive layer 42 of the reflector 4 of the first embodiment. The base material 43F may be formed, for example, by transparent inorganic glass. In this case, the base material 43F may have the same configuration as the base material 43 of the reflector 4 of the first embodiment.
According to the reflector 4F of the sixth embodiment, as in the first to fifth embodiments described above, the reflective layer 41 including a plurality of resin films having different refractive indices may allow infrared light B in external light, such as sunlight, incident from the outside to pass so as to prevent the infrared light B from reaching the TFT panel unit 3. Since the reflective layer 41 reflects only the S-polarized light H and allows the P-polarized light G to pass in the visible light A included in the external light, the visible light directed toward the TFT panel unit 3 may be reduced without arranging a glass plate with a polarizing film or the like in the vicinity of the TFT panel unit 3. In this way, the reflector 4F of the sixth embodiment can also enhance the heat-shielding property against external light without increasing the number of components, as in the first to fourth embodiments described above.
According to the reflector 4F of the sixth embodiment, since the reflective layer 41 is not located on the most front side of the reflector 4F, the possibility of damage to the reflective layer 41 (e.g., damage that may occur when an object hits the reflector 4F during assembly) may be reduced. That is, according to the reflector 4F of the sixth embodiment, the base material 43F and the surface layer 40F may function as a protective layer for protecting the reflective layer 41.
Note that, although the surface layer 40F is disposed on the front side of the base material 43F in the sixth embodiment so as to protect the base material 43F, the present disclosure is not limited to this. Specifically, the surface layer 40F may be omitted.
Application to Vertical Fold Type Head-Up Display
Next, a case where the reflector 4 (including the reflectors 4B, 4C, and 4D) of the above-described embodiments is applied to the reflector 4G of a so-called vertical fold type head-up display 1G will be described with reference to
In the vertical fold type head-up display 1G shown in
Although the embodiments have been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the claims. Furthermore, all or a number of the components of the foregoing embodiments described above may be combined.
For example, although the concave mirror 5 is disposed in the foregoing embodiments, the concave mirror 5 may be omitted.
The following appendices are disclosed in connection with the embodiments described above.
Appendix 1
A head-up display (1) includes a lighting device (6), a display (3) which emits display light when being illuminated by the lighting device (6), and a reflector (4) which reflects the display light. The reflector (4) includes a reflective layer (41) including a plurality of layers of resin films having different refractive indices, an adhesive layer (42), and a base material (43) to which the reflective layer (41) is bonded via the adhesive layer (42).
Appendix 2
In the head-up display according to Appendix 1, at least one of the base material (43) and the adhesive layer (42) has a light-shielding property.
Appendix 3
In the head-up display according to Appendix 1, the base material (43) includes a light-shielding layer (44) having a light-shielding property on a surface opposite to the reflective layer (41).
Appendix 4
In the head-up display according to appendix 3, the light-shielding layer (44) is formed by UV-cured ink or black oil-based ink.
Appendix 5
In the head-up display according to any one of Appendices 1 to 4, the reflector (4) is disposed in such an orientation that a reflection axis direction (C) of the reflective layer (41) is substantially parallel to a polarization direction of the display light emitted from the display (3).
Appendix 6
In the head-up display according to Appendix 1, the base material (43) is disposed on an incident side of the display light relative to the reflective layer (41).
Appendix 7
In the head-up display according to any one of Appendices 1 to 6, the reflector (4) is disposed in such an orientation that the reflection axis direction (C) of the reflective layer (41) is substantially parallel to the polarization direction of the display light emitted from the display (3).
Appendix 8
In the head-up display according to Appendix 7, the reflector (4) is disposed in such an orientation that an incident plane (D) of the display light emitted from the display (3) is closer to a horizontal plane than to a vertical plane and that the reflection axis direction (C) of the reflective layer (41) is substantially parallel to a direction orthogonal to the incident plane (D).
In this case, the display may emit S-polarized display light, and the reflector may have an S-polarized reflectance higher than a P-polarized reflectance.
Appendix 9
In the head-up display according to Appendix 7, the reflector (4) is disposed in such an orientation that an incident plane (D) of the display light emitted from the display (3) is closer to a vertical plane than to a horizontal plane and that the reflection axis direction (C) of the reflective layer (41) is substantially parallel to a direction orthogonal to the incident plane (D).
In this case, the display may emit S-polarized display light, and the reflector may have an S-polarized reflectance higher than a P-polarized reflectance.
Appendix 10
In the head-up display according to any one of Appendices 1 to 5 and 7 to 9, the base material (43) has a first surface (431) in contact with the adhesive layer (42) and a second surface (432) on a back side of the first surface (431), the first surface (431) being non-parallel to the second surface (432).
1, 1G Head-up display
2 Case
3, 3G TFT panel unit
4, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F, 4G Reflector
5 Concave mirror
6 Backlight Unit
9 Instrument panel
21 Heat dissipation portion
41 Reflective layer
42, 42C, 42F Adhesive layer
43, 43B, 43E, 43F Base material
44 Light-shielding layer
90 Screw
A Visible light
B Infrared light
C Reflection axis direction
D Incident plane
E Incident light
F Reflection light
G P-Polarized light
H S-Polarized light
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2019-106535 | Jun 2019 | JP | national |
2019-145428 | Aug 2019 | JP | national |
2019-146244 | Aug 2019 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2020/022122 | 6/4/2020 | WO | 00 |